Blackman had denied murder, saying he believed the victim was already dead and he was taking out his anger on a corpse.

He was given a life sentence with a minimum of 10 years by a court martial in Bulford, Wiltshire, following his conviction in November 2013.

An e-petition on the Government’s website addressed to the Ministry of Defence (MoD) asked: “Release Marine A & quash his murder conviction. Marine A has defended his country from a terrorist.”

It received 107,169 signatures, meaning it passed the 100,000 signature threshold to ensure it is considered for a debate in Parliament.

After it received 100,000 signatures, Mr Hague wrote to Ms Engel: “As you are aware, this e-petition has now passed the threshold of 100,000 signatures, which makes it eligible for consideration for debate.

“I hope that the Backbench Business Committee will now consider the suitably of the issue for debate.”